


Gone in a Second

by Avengers_Whore



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amputee Peter Parker, Angst, Anything past tws doesn't exist, B.A.R.F. | Binarily Augmented Retro Framing, BAMF Peter Parker, Canon Divergence - Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Domestic Avengers, Flash Thompson Being A Jerk, Flash Thompson Bullies Peter Parker, Fluff and Angst, HYDRA sucks, Hydra Tony Stark, M/M, Minor Harley Keener/Peter Parker, Not Iron Man 3 Compliant, Parent Bucky Barnes, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker is Tony Stark's Biological Child, Pre-Relationship, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Harley Keener, Temporary Character Death, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Winter Soldier Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:08:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24046417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avengers_Whore/pseuds/Avengers_Whore
Summary: “I’m gonna show daddy my new wood chip collection,” Peter said, digging into one of his pockets and pulling out a handful of chips.“I’m sure he’ll love it, baby. We’ll find you a jar to put them in,” Tony purred, ruffling his pup’s hair. He opened his mouth to talk again-Boom.And then there was an explosion and everything went black.
Relationships: Harley Keener & Peter Parker, Harry Osborn & Peter Parker, James "Bucky" Barnes & Peter Parker, James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Natasha Romanov, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 16
Kudos: 687
Collections: IronDad! & SpiderSon!, IronSoldier, Numerous OTPS Infinite Fandoms





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm alive! It has been so long since I posted something and I've probably been working on this for the same amount of time. It's been a few weeks of on and off writing this while also working on school work and....Animal Crossing. I've definitely been fucking around on Animal Crossing! But here it is - there may be a second chapter with some more healing on Tony's part and a little more Parkner to keep us all feeling warm and fuzzy inside.

“You’re making a mess, Peter,” Tony purred as he knelt down to wipe a napkin over the pup’s face. He smiled when the little boy giggled and tried to squirm out of his mother’s hold. He finished wiping the ice cream from around the boy’s mouth and then stood up once more. “Hold my hand, baby.”

“Yes, mama,” Peter giggled, taking his mama’s hand as they started walking down the sidewalk once more. They were on their way to the park to spend the day there with some of the pup’s friends but the little boy had gotten distracted by the ice cream stand.

And his mama couldn’t ever tell him no.

Luckily Peter never asked for anything outrageous so Tony was more than willing to spoil him whenever he wanted. The omega looked down at the pup and couldn’t help but smile wider at the pure joy and innocence on his little, pudgy face.

They made it to the park after crossing a few busy, New York streets. Ned and MJ were already on the playground and Peter ran to join them as soon as his mama gave him a nod. The little boy was off like lightning, shouting out his friends’ names.

Tony huffed out a laugh and went to one of the benches to sit down. He watched the trio as they went from the slides to the swings to under one of the play equipment. They were playing some kind of game, though the omega suspected they were playing Avengers again.

When they came out again, Tony opened up the camera on his phone and recorded them running around with each other. He couldn’t make out what they were shouting but he suspected Peter was playing the part of Cap.

MJ was probably playing Natasha.

And he didn’t know who Ned was playing as until he pushed his arm out in a telltale move of a repulsor blast. He laughed and finished his recording just as a call came through, the face of his alpha taking up the screen. He answered and purred as a greeting.

“What a lovely sound that is, doll,” Bucky rumbled into his ear with a chuckle. “How’s the park?”

“Oh, you know I love the outdoors, Buckaroo. Pups are playing Avengers,” the brunet told him as he looked at the trio still running around the playground. “You’ll be happy to know our own son is playing your best friend.”

“Stevie’s way better than me anyway. No one needs to play the Winter Soldier.”

“I love playing with the Winter Soldier,” the omega purred teasingly, laughing outright when the alpha groaned over the phone.

“I’m filin’ for divorce right now,” Bucky complained with a sigh. “I just wanted to check in. Nat’s pickin’ up on some chatter but I’m sure it’s nothin’.”

“Okay. Just let me know if you need me. I love you,” Tony purred. He sighed contently when he heard his mate’s pleased rumble.

“Love you, too, baby doll.”

Tony put his phone back in his pocket and relaxed against the bench. He stayed like that for awhile before he heard little footsteps running towards him. Peter was panting as he came to a stop in front of his mama, a wide grin still on his face.

“MJ ‘n Ned had to go home,” the boy told him as he caught his breath.

“Well then it sounds like it’s time for us to go home, too, Peter Piper. Let’s go see daddy,” the older brunet told him as he stood up. He took the pup’s hand and they started walking back the way they came.

“I’m gonna show daddy my new wood chip collection,” Peter said, digging into one of his pockets and pulling out a handful of chips.

“I’m sure he’ll love it, baby. We’ll find you a jar to put them in,” Tony purred, ruffling his pup’s hair. He opened his mouth to talk again-

_Boom._

And then there was an explosion and everything went black.

-

Bucky couldn’t help the tight anxiety in his chest, the bouncing of his leg as he sat next to Peter’s bed in the medbay. The boy was unconscious, had been for a couple days now. From what they could gather, the force of the blast had thrown him several feet and knocked him unconscious.

He ran a hand through his hair, tugging on the long strands in frustration. He looked up when the door opened and Steve came in. The blond looked run ragged as he coordinated search and rescue on the block where the explosion had happened.

“Anything?” Bucky asked quietly.

“No. No sign of him,” the other alpha murmured, sitting down next to his best friend. He looked over his small nephew worriedly before turning blue eyes on the man next to him. “We’ll… We’ll find him, Buck. No Avenger left behind.”

“You saw the reports. You saw how close to the explosion they were,” Bucky muttered softly. “It’s a miracle Peter’s alive. I don’t know if there’s a body to recover, Stevie.”

“You don’t know that, you have to keep believing we’ll find him.”

“I do! I know it, Stevie, he’s-”

He was cut off by the sound of Peter whimpering. Immediately he was out of his seat and leaning over the bed, rumbling soothingly as the pup shifted and moved. His eyes shuddered before they opened. Another whine erupted as the boy moved again, the pain flaring up in his body.

“D-Daddy, hurts,” Peter whimpered, tears streaming down his face.

“It’s okay, Petey, daddy’s right here. Everything’ll be okay,” Bucky rumbled, pressing their foreheads together to surround his pup with his scent.

“M-My leg-”

“I’m so sorry, Peter...baby, you know how I’m missin’ an arm?”

Peter nodded his head and reached up to hold the metal hand in his own small, flesh ones.

“Well, yer missin’ part of yer right leg. You understand, Peter?”

“A-Am I gonna get a cool metal leg?” Peter asked shyly, wiping at his eyes to get rid of the tears. Bucky smiled softly and kissed his forehead.

“Not for awhile, baby boy. Gotta wait ‘til yer all done growing,” the alpha murmured, still rumbling to keep the pup calmed down. The boy nodded his head and his eyes drooped, already exhausted from the whole ordeal.

Bucky thanked whatever gods were out there that the boy hadn’t asked about Tony.

“Go back to sleep, Petey, daddy’ll be right here.”

-

Peter cried against his daddy’s chest as his Aunt Pepper walked passed with the wreath of flowers. In the center was the first arc reactor, the one Pepper had turned into a little keepsake. He watched her as she set the wreath on top of the gravestone and a fresh wave of tears fell down his face.

They were in the Stark’s family plot in the cemetery. Maria and Howard, along with Howard’s own parents were buried there, and now Tony’s empty casket was there as well. The whole team was there, along with the friends they’d made along the way.

Bucky held Peter tightly to his chest to give the boy a break from his crutches. It’d been a slow-going process for the pup to get used to missing a leg. He was sore from the crutches, sore at the amputation sight, and every day was emotionally draining.

Especially now.

They’d declared Tony officially dead a week ago. The alpha had spent the whole time arranging for an empty coffin to be buried while Pepper prepared a statement to tell the public. Most of which consisted of her telling the public that Bucky was now the owner of Stark Industries until Peter came of age.

He rubbed his pup’s back soothingly. They stayed by the graves until they were the only ones left and then Bucky sat down on the ground with the pup resting in his lap. They were quiet for awhile, save for a few sniffles from Peter.

“You know what Uncle Steve ‘n I always say to each other?” Bucky asked the boy softly, kissing his temple.

“‘Til the end of the line,” Peter answered around a hiccup.

“That’s right, Peter. That’s us now,” the alpha told him. “You with me, kiddo?”

“‘Til the end of the line,” the boy repeated, this time with a little giggle as his daddy tickled his side.

“There we go. Let’s go get you somethin’ to eat, and you gotta take yer medicine.”

“Okay, daddy.”

-

_10 years later_

“You always try to carry these by yourself,” Harry complained as he hurried over, grabbing the books from Peter’s hands so the other boy could use his crutches without problems.

“Yer always late so I have to do it by myself,” Peter retorted with a laugh. He adjusted his crutches under his arms and followed after Harry as the two boys made their way to their first class.

“I resent that. Ned’s always late too.”

“I am not,” Ned argued as he appeared on Peter’s other side. “You guys are just always early!”

Both of the other boys laughed and that’s when Peter felt a shove to his back and he crashed to the ground with a grunt. The crutches fell next to him, one of them breaking upon impact with the tiled floor. He felt a heavy weight in his chest as he heard everyone in the hall laughing at him, save for his two friends.

He pushed back the tears gathering in his eyes as he slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position. Flash was standing there with a smug grin on his face, arms crossed over his chest. The alpha teen looked more than proud of himself.

“You’re such a dick, Flash,” Harry snarled as he knelt down to help Peter up. Ned had grabbed his crutches and Peter sighed when he noticed the broken one.

“What’re you gonna do about it, Osborn? We all know Barnes is just suckin’ your knot for your protection,” Flash taunted, which prompted more laughter from the students gathering around in the hall. Harry growled again and before Peter or Ned could stop him, he punched Flash straight in the jaw.

The other alpha fell to the ground with a shocked look on his face. He cupped his jaw where there was blood from his split lip. Peter’s and Ned’s eyes were also wide with shock as they looked between the two alphas.

“What is going on here?” Mr. Harrington exclaimed as he pushed through the throng of students.

Flash immediately saw an opportunity.

“P-Peter hit me with his crutch!”

“What?” Mr. Harrington asked, immediately looking over at Peter who was holding his crutches. He saw the broken one and the beta man’s eyes narrowed. “To the principal’s office. Now. We’ll just have to see what your alpha thinks about this.”

“But-”

“Now, Peter!”

Peter flinched at the shout and nodded his head, turning around and starting to hobble his way down the hall. It was especially difficult with the broken crutch. Ned tried to help but their teacher told everyone to get to class.

The omega made it to the office and was immediately escorted into the principal’s office behind the secretary’s desk. He sat down heavily in one of the chairs and laid his crutches under him just like he always did. Mr. Morita was on the phone, presumably talking to his dad. After a few moments, the beta hung up the phone and set it aside.

“Your alpha is on his way. Would you like to tell me what happened now?”

“I’ll wait,” Peter whispered, looking down at his lap.

It was a half an hour before the door opened again and his dad came in. The teen was surprised to see him dressed down in his favorite henley and oil-stained jeans instead of the three-piece suits he’d been wearing for years now. Anything to uphold the name of the company.

“You okay, Pete? Are you hurt?” Bucky asked worriedly, kneeling down in front of him and looking him over for any injuries.

“Peter is not the one who got hurt, Mr. Barnes. Please have a seat,” Mr. Morita said, indicating the chair next to Peter. Bucky nodded his head and sat on the chair with a sigh.

“What’s this about, Mr. Morita?”

“Peter hit another student, Eugene Thompson, with one of his crutches. So hard, in fact, the crutch broke,” the beta explained. “We take bullying and fighting very seriously here at Midtown Tech.”

Peter didn’t even bother looking up from his lap as he felt his dad’s eyes on him. The alpha was quiet for a few moments as he thought, scent remaining calm and neutral.

“I think you have the wrong kid. Peter’s a good kid, he’s non-confrontational, he won’t even argue with me about chores or curfew,” Bucky told the other man patiently as he sat back in the chair and crossed one leg over the other.

“I know it’s hard to hear, Mr. Barnes-”

“No, I don’t think you get it. Yer tryin’ to tell me that my son took one of his crutches, the things he needs to _stand_ , and then hit someone? I don’t think so,” the brunet snarled lowly. “Did you even check the cameras? This school has cameras, right?”

“Of- Of course we do, but I don’t think-”

“So yer gonna try and punish my pup based on hearsay instead of goddamn fact.”

“Daddy,” Peter whispered, looking up at the man desperately.

“Peter, I won’t have you gettin’ suspended or expelled for somethin’ you didn’t do,” Bucky told him quietly before turning back to the principal. “Mr. Morita, I want to see the footage.”

Peter sighed softly and silently cursed his dad. Years as the majority shareholder in SI stock had made him fierce, especially to the business world. It reminded him of his mama when he’d come home from board meetings or shareholder meetings.

They sat quietly while Mr. Morita pulled the footage up on his computer and skipped right to the altercation in the hallway. The beta paled as they all watched Flash shove Peter to the floor and then get slugged by Harry a minute or two after. Rage spiked in his dad’s scent before it settled down again.

“Apologize to my son. And then get that kid in here and punish him or you’ll have the full rage of Stark Industries on yer ass,” Bucky growled quietly as he stood up. “Let that Eugene kid know I’ll be in contact with his parents. Come on, Pete, I’m takin’ you home.”

Peter nodded his head and got his crutches out from under the chair. He stood up with them and followed his dad out of the office. The alpha signed him out at the desk and then they got the teen’s bag from his locker before heading out to the waiting car.

“Hey, kid,” Happy greeted as the pair got in, smiling in the mirror at the young boy.

“Hi, Happy,” Peter murmured, smiling back at the man. He leaned into his dad’s side when they got settled next to each other and the car started to move.

“How long has that kid been bullyin’ you?” Bucky asked quietly, wrapping his arm around the boy’s shoulders.

“Daddy…”

“Pete.”

“Awhile, okay? But I can handle it. I’ve got my friends, they always look out for me,” Peter told him stubbornly.

“So much for non-confrontational. Alright, Peter Piper, I’m thinkin’ pizza, ice cream, and a movie.”

“You know how I feel about that nickname, dad,” the teen murmured, pulling out of the older man’s arms and leaning against the window instead. He heard his dad sigh softly.

“I’m sorry, kiddo, I forgot,” Bucky apologized, his voice soft and solemn. They spent the rest of the ride in silence, along with the walk into the tower and up the elevator. The pair made a brief stop in the medbay to get a new set of crutches and then up to the Avengers floor where the rest of the team was gathered on the couches.

“Hey, you’re home way early,” Clint commented when they entered the room, smiling at the teen.

“You look tired, baby spider,” Natasha said as she got up. She went over to the omega and wrapped her arms around him in a soothing hug. “Rough morning?”

“Yeah. Didn’t even get to my first class,” Peter mumbled into her shoulder. “Just wanna sleep.”

“Then let’s sleep. Come take a nap in my lap, _malen’kiy_ ,” the alpha woman rumbled, guiding him back over to the couch and kicking Clint off before she sat down. Peter laid down and rested his head on her lap, his crutches neatly tucked under the couch.

Bucky went to the kitchen and sat at the island counter with his head in his hands. There was a clink and he looked to up see Steve putting a glass of water by his arm. He smiled weakly at the blond and grabbed the glass.

“It’s not even nine in the morning and you both look exhausted,” Steve told him quietly as he sat next to him.

“Tough morning. I cancelled the rest of my meetings today.”

“Good. We got word Hydra’s back in action. There’s another soldier on the loose,” the other alpha murmured.

“God dammit. It had to be this week of all weeks,” Bucky growled softly, tugging at the short strands of his hair. He’d cut off his long hair years ago, looking more like himself in the 40s. He glanced over at the liquor cabinet they kept locked up and then shook his head. He couldn’t even get drunk so there was no point.

“Hey, if you wanna sit this out, we won’t blame you.”

“No, I want in. It’s Hydra, it’s my job to burn ‘em to the ground.”

-

Bucky ran his flesh hand over the cryo tank, lost in his memories while the other Avengers searched the rest of the room. This was the fourth base they’d raided in as many days looking for clues as to what Hydra was planning and who their newest soldier was. The tech in the room was new and far superior to anything they’d had in the past.

It was almost on par with Stark technology.

He sighed softly and turned back to the room, eyes catching on the chair in the center and feeling his stomach churn. He still had nightmares about his times in the chair - every single wipe, each one more painful than the last.

“All I’ve got are some hairs. Short, brunet. Looks like they’re finally giving their weapons a haircut,” Clint commented as he walked over. Bucky nodded his head mutely and walked towards the chair. He made out a trace of a scent, something familiar about the warm notes he picked up.

The alpha took a deep breath, even going so far as to press his nose to the chair. Finally it clicked - cinnamon. His heart immediately began to ache and he took another sniff just to hold that spicy smell a little long.

He missed his mate so damn much.

There was an underlying iron scent as wall which was most likely blood rather than the metal itself. After all, this new soldier was a killer. Even Bucky still had hints of blood in his scent whenever he was stressed or scared.

There was a soft beep in his ear and he sighed again.

“Yeah, J, what’s up?” Bucky asked quietly.

“You asked me to keep in contact with Karen while the young sir was out on his...nightly activities,” the AI murmured. “Karen has informed me that his heart rate has accelerated beyond normal levels.”

“Okay, thank you, J. Did you get the files from the computers?”

“Of course, Sergeant Barnes. I am combing through them now.”

“Fantastic. I’ll see you at home,” Bucky told him before turning his attention to the others. “Are we done here? I need to check on Peter.”

“Yeah, there’s nothing here. Let’s go,” Steve said, holstering his shield on his back. The others followed after him as he left the room except for Natasha who stayed back for a few moments. Bucky waited outside of the room for her, quirking an eyebrow at her and receiving a shake of the head in reply.

When they got back to the tower, Peter was waiting for them on the platform. He was still in his suit sans mask and his eyes were rimmed red from crying. As always when he was suited up, the crutches were nowhere to be found. Just a makeshift prosthetic in the suit to keep him standing.

“Peter, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Bucky asked with a frown, hurrying over to his pup and looking him over.

“I-It’s not that, I’m fine. I- I saw mama,” the teenager told him, looking him straight in the eyes.

“Pete...I know this is hard, since tomorrow is-”

“No! I saw him, I swear! He- He was on a roof and he- he had a mask over his nose and mouth, dad, I’m not imagining it!”

“Peter, your mom is dead. He’s dead, okay? Whatever- Whoever you saw wasn’t him,” the alpha told him harshly, tears welling up in his own eyes as he grasped the younger boy’s arms. Peter’s lip quivered for a second or two and then he tore himself out of his dad’s grip and ran towards the elevator.

Bucky groaned and punched a wall with his flesh hand, frustrated beyond anything. Natasha brushed passed him and followed Peter into the elevator before the doors could close.

-

“I swear it was him, Nat,” Peter muttered as he pulled the fake leg off of his knee with a wince. The skin was raw and irritated as it always was when he wore it on patrol. He set it on the workbench and looked up at the redhead standing in the middle of the lab.

“How do you know?” Natasha asked him quietly as she pulled a container of cream from a drawer and came over to apply it on the teen’s stump.

“His eyes. They were blank, almost dead but...I’d know them anywhere,” the teen murmured as he picked up a picture frame and looked at it. The picture itself was of his mama and him when he was born. The omega looked exhausted but his eyes were bright and the smile on his face was huge.

“I found these in the base. I didn’t want to show the others until I knew what was going on,” Natasha told him as she sat down and pulled a stack of folded papers out of her jacket. She handed them over and Peter was immediately unfolding them to look them over.

They were drawings.

Not as good as his Uncle Steve, these were more...analytical, the work of an engineer who was more adept at blueprints than sketching. But you could easily tell it was his dad before he’d cut off all of his hair. The alpha had a cigarette perched between his upturned lips, looking out at the viewer.

The next drawing was of Peter when he was little before the accident. He had ice cream smeared around his mouth and there was even a bit next to his eye.

“This- This proves it, right? He’s alive?” Peter asked her with wide eyes, looking up at his aunt.

“I think there’s more going on than we think,” she told him softly.

“We have to tell the others! You found these in a Hydra base, that means they have him!”

“Peter, we can’t rush into this. It’s not as simple as going in and grabbing Tony and having a happy ending,” Natasha told him firmly, placing her hands on his shoulders to get his attention. “If Tony’s alive, he’s not himself. He’ll be just like your dad when we saved him, he won’t have any of his memories.”

That seemed to sober Peter’s excitement, the grin on his face falling and his happy scent tampering down until they could barely smell it. He looked down at all of the drawings in his hands and frowned slightly.

“If Uncle Steve got through to dad, then dad can get through to mama. I know he can.”

“Okay. I’ll help you,” Natasha told him after a few moments of thoughtful silence. “We’ll tell Steve first since he’s team leader. I don’t think it’s a good idea to tell your dad yet.”

“I understand,” the teen replied with a determined nod.

-

“Aunt Nat, we’ve been out here awhile. My stump is starting to ache,” Peter murmured into his comm. He was sitting on one of the many rooftops in Brooklyn, looking for any sign of his mother. This was where he’d been when he’d seen him the first time so he could only hope that the omega came here for another mission.

Or maybe the same mission if he hadn’t completed it yet.

His aunt was somewhere down below doing recon on the ground. She had a radio frequency up trying to pick up on any other possible comms in the area. With any luck, Hydra was in contact with his mama and she’d be able to pick up on what they were saying.

“You wanna quit for the night? We can always look tomorrow,” the redhead replied in his ear with a sigh. They’d been at this for a few days now and only Steve really knew what the pair were doing.

“Yeah. It’s almost curfew anyway and you know dad will actually take my other leg if I’m late,” the teen said with a small laugh. He stretched and stood up with a groan, his stump flaring up as it rubbed against the fake leg of his suit.

And then suddenly he was down again with a bullet hole in the fake leg. He stared at the hole in shock before whipping around and coming face-to-face with their intended target. He swore and rolled out of the way as the soldier fired again.

“Nat! Nat, I need you up here, he’s here,” Peter shouted as he continued to roll and duck out of the way until he was finally on his feet again. He immediately started to retaliate with his web shooters, trying to pin the older omega down. “Karen, web grenade.”

“Changing to web grenade,” the AI immediately replied, switching modes on the HUD in his suit. He fired at the masked figure again and this time the webs exploded right in his face, splattering him in the sticky substance and momentarily blinding him. 

Natasha was on him in an instant, her thighs wrapping around his neck and swinging the man down to the ground roughly. Peter switched modes again and webbed him to the rooftop. They both paused and watched the masked omega struggle under all of the webbing.

The alpha woman knelt down and removed the mask, twitching back when the omega - _Tony_ \- tried to reach up and bite her hand. Both of the spiders stared openly at the omega’s familiar face, lip still curled back in a snarl. They glanced over at each other in shock.

“It’s him- I knew it! I knew it,” Peter exclaimed excitedly, jumping around and whooping. He swore when he landed on the fake leg and fell to the ground with a pained whine.

There was a pause in the snarling at the whine and then Tony’s thrashing continued, this time in the direction of where Peter was gripping his knee. Peter winced as he sat up and looked over at the omega.

“I’m okay, really. My knee’s just sore, mama,” the teen murmured soothingly as he came closer to his bound mother. The older omega’s nostrils flared as he breathed in the younger’s scent and slowly relaxed. “We need to find some way to get him home.”

“I’ll tell Steve to set up the Hulk’s container. It’s the safest place in the tower,” Natasha told him as she pulled out her phone to do just that. Peter knelt down next to Tony and hesitantly ran his fingers through the other brunet’s curls. The soldier’s entire body jerked at the first touch before settling and leaning into the teen’s touch.

“I missed you, mama. I know you don’t remember me really but I missed you,” the younger omega told him softly with a shy smile. Natasha put her phone away and came over, ignoring the soft growls.

“You’ll just feel a pinch,” the redhead muttered before quickly shoving a syringe in the soldier’s neck and injecting whatever sedative she had. It took a few moments but the older brunet finally passed out.

-

“Yeah, that’s Tony. Jarvis’s scans confirm it,” Steve told them both as they watched the pacing brunet in the Hulk’s chamber. He’d woken up just as they’d finished sealing the door and had promptly started trying to break out.

“Do we tell dad now?” Peter asked his aunt and uncle, biting his lip anxiously.

“I don’t know, Pete. I don’t know Buck can handle this,” Steve answered him, wrapping an arm around the boy’s shoulders and pulling him into his side.

“Could you? When you found my dad?”

“Not really, no. But,” the blond murmured, still watching Tony pace. “I had your ma and the rest of the team to help me. We’ll tell Bucky in the morning so go get some sleep, kid.”

“Make sure you put that cream on your knee, _malen’kiy_ ,” Natasha told him as the teen nodded his head and made his way to the elevator. The doors closed and the boy was on his way to the penthouse, leaving Steve and Natasha with Tony.

“He’s taking it well,” the blond alpha commented softly.

“He’s strong, like his parents. Like us,” the redhead replied, voice just as soft. They watched as Tony slammed himself into the door again before both of them went to the elevator and headed up to their respective floors.

The next morning, both of the alphas went up to the penthouse to find Peter sitting at the island counter watching his dad make breakfast for the both of them. The teen looked over and smiled at them brightly, visibly perking up. Both of them went over and pressed kisses to the young omega’s curls.

“Wasn’t expectin’ you two so early this morning. Feed yerselves,” Bucky grouched teasingly, sending a smirk over his shoulder at the other alphas.

“Don’t we always, Yasha?” Natasha asked with a smirk of her own as she sat at the island.

“Uh, no, Nat, you don’t. The whole team is like a bunch of beggars,” Steve told her with a gentle nudge to her shoulder. He walked around the island and placed a hand on his best friend’s shoulder. “We need to talk. I wanted to tell you before we informed the rest of the team.”

“Tell me what?” Bucky asked quietly, shoulders tense and voice tight.

“Tony’s alive,” the blond told him, opting for the blunt approach.

“Dammit, Steve, don’t tell me Pete put you up to this.”

“No, I’m serious. He’s downstairs in the Hulk’s chamber right now.”

“Dad, we found him, he’s alive,” Peter insisted despite the warning look he received from his aunt. “He needs us.”

Bucky slammed his metal fist down onto the counter and left a large crack in the granite countertop. Peter flinched at the noise and immediately had his eyes down, avoiding the angry alpha’s eyes submissively. The redhead next to him placed a hand on his shoulder before pulling him into a hug.

“I know it’s a lot to process but we need you on this. Tony needs you,” Steve told him seriously, ignoring the angry scent rolling off of his best friend.

“Stop, get away,” Bucky snarled softly, tense and taking a few steps away from the blond. “He’s not - He’s not _Tony_ , he’s whatever Hydra made him. He’ll never be the same again.”

“You just gonna give up on him then, Buck? Nat and I never gave up on you!”

“Has he showed any signs of breakin’ that conditioning? Huh?” Bucky asked him harshly, growling. “This isn’t like Afghanistan, they put him in that goddamn chair! And if he ain’t breakin’ their conditioning yet, then it’ll be a good long while.”

“I think he recognized me last night,” Peter murmured, glancing up at his dad. “I fell down because my knee was hurting so bad from the leg. He… He stopped trying to break free of my webs and started trying to come for me.”

“Yeah, maybe to attack you, Pete.”

“No, dad, I think he wanted to protect me,” the teen argued fiercely. “If you won’t help him, then I will!”

“Absolutely not! You go anywhere that bunker and yer grounded ‘til you die,” Bucky told him firmly, pointing a finger right at him.

“I won’t sit on the sidelines, I want my mom!” Peter shouted, now slamming his own fist on the counter in front of him and cracking that countertop with his own strength. “I want- I want my mama back! You can’t take him from me!”

“Calm down, Peter,” Natasha murmured softly, running her hand through his soft curls and rumbling to comfort him. Everyone on the team, and a few others off the team, had tried to fill the hole Tony had left behind. They’d tried to be mothers to the omega and he’d appreciated them, but it was never enough.

He wanted the one who used to clean ice cream off of his face and draw a fake goatee on his face when he’d wanted to be his mom for Halloween. Not Iron Man, but just his mom.

Tears streamed down his face as he curled into Natasha’s body, quietly crying into her neck and breathing in her familiar scent. It was a poor attempt at trying to self-soothe when all he really wanted the scent of cinnamon and soldering iron.

“Oh, Petey,” Bucky murmured, walking over and gently taking the teen from Natasha’s arms into his own. He lifted the teenager up and held him just like he had when he was little and started walking around. He didn’t bounce him like he used to but he did scent over him and hum a soft lullaby.

Peter hid his face against his dad’s neck and cried as he held on. He wrapped one of his legs around his dad’s hips just to cling even harder. He was upset, his knee still hurt from the shitty makeshift prosthetic, and he wanted his mom.

They stayed like that for a few minutes until the teen calmed down. The pair of brunets breathed each other’s scents in for another moment before Peter pulled back to look at the alpha. Bucky kept rumbling as he looked at this son.

“Hey. You with me?” Bucky asked him quietly, cupping the back of his head.

“‘Til the end of the line,” Peter answered, voice just as quiet. “Please help.”

“Okay, kiddo. Your mom’s gonna be fine, just like I was,” the alpha told him with a smile. He turned to look at Natasha and Steve. “If we’re gonna do this, we’re gonna need all of the people important to him.”

“That’s easy, everyone’s already here,” Natasha told him with a small shrug.

“Not everyone. Pete, call Harley,” the brunet told him.

“Dad, he’s all the way in Tennessee!”

“And we have a top-of-the-line private jet, call him.”

“Buck, Harley lived here for maybe a year before he had to go live with his ma, Tony barely knew him,” Steve protested, crossing his arms over his chest. “And he was, like, 3.”

“He was 4 when he left. Not the point, point is they were closer than you guys know. He saw great potential in Harley, that’s why he left a college fund for the kid in his will,” Bucky explained as Peter talked quietly into his phone. He ran a hand through his hair. “Trust me. He’ll help.”

“Harley’s packing,” Peter spoke up as he put his phone down, a pleased smile on his face. “I also called our pilot and told him to pick him up.”

“Alright. We’ll wait for Harley then. Let Tony have a day or two by himself,” Bucky told them all. “Let his mind start fightin’ the conditioning on it’s own.”

-

“Harley!” Peter yelled when he saw the elevator doors open. He was up off of the couch and hopping his way over as fast as he could, forgetting his crutches under the couch. He almost stumbled and fell over but the other teen caught him before he could faceplant.

“Heya, Pete,” Harley greeted with a wide grin, keeping the omega steady as he guided him back over to the couch. He dropped his bag off on the floor and settled his best friend back onto the cushions. “You know better than ta go anywhere without yer crutches.”

“Don’t care, I wanted to see you!”

“You see me every other day on your computer,” the alpha teen pointed out with a laugh, dropping down next to the other and relaxing against the couch. He tore his eyes away from the other boy’s face and looked at his stump. “It’s different in person.”

“...Good or bad different?” Peter asked nervously, biting his lip and covering his lap with a blanket.

“It’s not a bad thing, Petey, it’s just different seein’ it in person for the first time. Sorry,” Harley told him, grimacing slightly and pulling the other teen into his arms. “Missed you, darlin’.”

“I missed you too, Harls. Dad’s looking through his journals, finding whatever he can that might help mama.”

“I don’t think I’ll be any help,” the older teen told him.

“Mama loved you. Pretty sure he was planning our wedding,” Peter told him with a giggle. He laid his head on his best friend’s shoulder and breathed in his familiar scent. It’d been many, many years since they’d last seen each other but he’d recognize the clove and sea water anywhere. It had been laced with milk scent when Harley had moved but it was still recognizable.

“Well you would make a pretty bride,” Harley teased with a laugh of his own.

“Oi, don’t go gettin’ any ideas,” Bucky said as he came into the room, throwing a warning look at the young alpha. “Are you two ready?”

“Ready as we’ll ever be,” Peter answered, smiling at his dad. He sat up and grabbed his crutches, getting up off of the couch and maneuvering over to the elevator. Harley followed on his heels and Bucky joined them as they headed down to the bunker.

“I’m gonna go in, you two are gonna stay outside of the chamber,” Bucky told them both firmly as they stepped off of the elevator. “I’m the only one with the trainin’ to take him on if he gets violent.”

“Okay,” both teens answered before following the older man further inside. They’d barely come into full view of the chamber before there was a series of harsh thumps against the reinforced glass. And there was Tony, still trying to break out of the cage they’d put him in.

Bucky approached the glass Tony was slamming his body against and put a hand on it, looking at his omega’s face for any sign of recognition. Instead there was just a blankness to his brown irises that used to be so expressive. He took his hand off the glass and headed for the door.

“Jarvis, security measures please. Can’t have him gettin’ out.”

“Of course, Sergeant. Would you like me to keep monitoring Sir’s vitals?” Jarvis asked quietly as guns came down from the ceiling inside of the cage and pointed directly at Tony.

“Yeah, J, please. I’m goin’ in.”

Peter and Harley watched as Bucky typed in the code and then opened the door, slipping inside quickly. The door shut again and the sound of the reinforced locks clicking into place broke the silence of the room. The guns in the ceiling retracted back into their compartments and both boys took a seat to watch.

Tony split his attention between the teenagers outside and the alpha now standing in his cage. He snarled at the larger man and took a step back for every step forward Bucky took. He pressed himself against the glass closest to the teens.

“Yer alright, Tony. I ain’t gonna hurt you,” Bucky murmured soothingly, hands open and out in a placating manner.

“That’s- That’s not my name, don’t call me that,” the omega growled warningly, bringing his hand to his head when he felt it ache.

“It is, doll. Your name is Anthony Edward Stark. We mated 16 years ago and we had our son two years after that,” the alpha told him calmly, indicating Peter through the glass. Tony glanced back at the teens before snapping his attention back to the bigger man.

“I’m not! I’m- I’m _Mekhanik_ ,” the younger growled, gripping his hair now.

“Tony-”

“Stop calling me that!” Tony shouted, slamming his fist into the glass. He lunged for the other man and started throwing punches. Bucky met him blow for blow, blocking him and remaining on the defensive.

The omega only got angrier and his attacks got quicker. Gone was the half-trained, panic fighting Tony had been able to do all of those years ago. Now he was precise, powerful, and just as capable in a fight as Natasha. It helped he had the typical omega physique, small and lithely muscled. 

“I love you, Tony Stark,” Bucky continued as he blocked punch after punch, kick after kick. “You ain’t what they made you so I won’t hurt you. I know they did enough of that.”

“Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up!” Tony screamed, managing to grab hold of the shirt sleeve covering the metal arm and ripping it almost clean off. He froze when he saw the shiny metal.

“You remember makin’ this? I swear you didn’t sleep the whole week,” the alpha murmured as he looked down at the arm. He took a step closer to the other man and that’s when Tony reacted violently again. He kicked the alpha down and straddled his chest, wrapping his hands around his neck and squeezing.

Bucky struggled to fight the other man off but Tony took one of his hands away and proceeded to punch the alpha in the jaw a few times to disorient him. He continued to tighten his grip around the older man’s neck until suddenly he was pulled off by even stronger arms. Arms and a leg wrapped around the omega’s body and Tony started to struggle.

“Let me go! I won’t go back in the chair,” Tony yelled as he continued to struggle, his arms flailing in his attempts to get away. “Please, I’ll be good! Please, please, please!”

“Shhh,” Peter soothed in his mother’s ear. He held tightly to the older omega’s body, refusing to let the man go. “We won’t hurt you, you’re safe here.”

“Please don’t hurt me,” the older whimpered as his struggling slowly came to a stop. “I don’t wanna forget again, please…”

The teenager gently guided his mother’s face to his neck and let him breathe in his own calm pheromones. Anything to soothe the distressed brunet in his arms. Tony took deep, gasping breaths of Peter’s scent and almost all of the tension immediately drained out of his body. He slumped and continued to breathe him in.

“Pup...pup, told me my pup was dead,” the other omega whined. “Pup, pup…”

“Yeah, I’m your pup. You’re my mama,” Peter breathed, nuzzling his mother and purring happily. The two omegas nuzzled each other and breathed in their mixing scents, any attempt to soothe each other. The pair of alphas watched from a short distance away, Bucky catching his breath and Harley supporting him.

“Pup...Pu- Pete. Peter,” Tony murmured around a shoddy purr. It was broken and raspy, too quiet to be a real purr but it was close enough for the others to recognize it for what it was. The older giggled brokenly all of a sudden. “Sweetie-Petey.”

The broken purr erupted into a growl and the brunet tensed when Bucky tried to make a move towards them. The alpha froze and held his empty palms up to show he meant no harm. The growl softened slightly but he remained tensed in Peter’s arms, ready to attack and defend his pup.

“What if we bring the ‘bots up here? He knows me, he should know at least Dum-E,” Peter suggested to his dad, pulling his face back from his mom’s neck.

“Yeah, okay. Harley, go get the ‘bots,” Bucky told the younger.

“You go too. I’ll be fine.”

The alpha hesitated, glancing at Tony before slowly nodding his head. He got up and left the chamber, locking it behind him. Then Peter watched as both Bucky and Harley got on the elevator to go up to the lab. The teenager then slowly unwrapped his arms and let the older omega go.

“Missed you so much,” Peter told him softly, moving to sit in front of the older brunet. “We all thought you were dead.”

“I thought _you_ were dead. They- They told me you did…” Tony murmured, trailing off uncertainly. “The- The explosion? How did you-?”

“You remember it? That day?”

“No, just- just the explosion, nothing before it. Then I- I woke up in the chair.”

“Oh. Well, not all of me made it out,” Peter told him with a wry smile, indicating his missing limb.

“No prosthetic?” Tony asked uncertainly, brow furrowing as he looked over his pup.

“I’m still growing so I can’t have one,” the teen told him with a shrug. “I made a shitty, temporary one for my suit but that’s it. It hurts too much to wear all the time.”

Bucky and Harley came back before the elder could say anything more. They were followed by the three ‘bots, all of them pushing and shoving and beeping loudly as they tried to get to the door of the chamber.

The older of the two alphas opened the door and ushered all three ‘bots inside before shutting the door again. Tony watched everything warily, only relaxing when it was clear neither of the alphas would be coming back inside. He turned his head to look at them through the glass before dismissing them in favor of the ‘bots.

He got up and helped Peter up before slowly approaching the ‘bots. All three of them were beeping excitedly and then suddenly Dum-E was hurrying forward towards the omega. His beeping got louder and his claw started picking at Tony’s hair and then his shirt.

Tony gently stroked the long, metal arm, moving his hand up until he traced the claw. His brow furrowed slightly and then his eyes squeezed shut. His hand went to his head and he whined lowly.

“Hurts,” the older brunet whimpered.

“It’s okay, you’re just remembering,” Peter soothed as he made his way over on his crutches.

“I don’t want to,” Tony whispered, stepping back until he was leaning against the glass. “Remembering means the chair.”

“Doll, you will never see that goddamn chair ever again,” Bucky said over the intercom. “Swear on my life.”

The brunet turned to look at the alpha through the glass, searching his eyes before slowly nodding his head.

-

Harley hummed quietly as he ran his hand through Peter’s curls, watching the other boy sleep peacefully. They were in the living room and the credits from Moana were rolling on the screen. He looked up when he heard footsteps, finding Bucky entering the dark living room.

“Passed out?” Bucky asked quietly as he came over, sitting down on the coffee table in front of the teens.

“It was a long session today. He said Tony cried,” Harley answered, voice just as quiet as the older man. “He’s just so emotionally drained.”

“Between school, patrol, his therapy, and now bein’ there for Tony durin’ those BARF sessions, I ain’t surprised,” the brunet murmured, caressing Peter’s cheek gently. “He’s stretched himself thin.”

“I think we all have, at least a little,” the younger murmured, looking down at his best friend. “I need a favor.”

“What is it?”

“My ma’s supposed to be faxing back the transfer papers I sent her, so I can start school at Midtown. I need you to sign to be my guardian,” Harley told him with a small shrug of his shoulders.

“Harley, you didn’t need to do that.”

“Nah, I’ve been thinkin’ about it for awhile. I won’t get where I wanna go down in Rosehill. And I missed him.”

“I think there’s an album somewhere in my closet filled with ideas of yer and Pete’s wedding,” Bucky joked, winking as he stood up. “Get him up to bed, I’ll go wait for the fax. You look tired too.”

“Yeah, okay. You mind if I…?”

“If you were anybody else, I’d say no,” the older man told him before he sighed heavily. “Yeah, go ahead and sleep with him. No funny business.”

“Waaay too exhausted, Bucky, trust me,” Harley snorted, carefully working his way out from under Peter’s head and then standing up. The blond stretched before he gently took Peter into his arms bridal style and started heading for the hall that lead to the bedrooms.

The next morning, Bucky dropped both boys off at school and accompanied Harley to the office to hand in the transfer paperwork, along with the teen’s last few grade reports. They sat down with the principal, who was admittedly nervous talking to Bucky again, and talked about Harley’s future with the school.

“Welcome to Midtown Tech, Mr. Keener,” Mr. Morita said as he stood up, holding his hand out for the alpha. Harley smiled and shook the other man’s hand with a nod.

“Thank you, Mr. Morita. I’d like to start right away, if that’s okay.”

“Of course. I’ll have one of the secretaries escort you to your second period classroom as soon as your schedule is printed out,” the beta told him with a smile. He sat down again and both Harley and Bucky went out into the main room of the office.

“I have a few meetings today so Happy will pick you ‘n Pete up, okay?” Bucky asked as he adjusted his suit jacket.

“Okay. Good luck.”

The older alpha snorted softly before leaving the office. Harley sat in one of the chairs while one of the secretaries at the desk printed out his schedule. Once that was done, the kind, beta woman escorted him down the hall to the classroom.

“Mr. Harrington, I have a new mind for you to mold,” the woman said after she and Harley had stepped into the classroom.

“Thank you, Miss Williams,” Mr. Harrington said with a smile, putting his expo marker down and turning towards the blond alpha. Miss Williams quietly excused herself and left the room, closing the door behind her. “Why don’t you tell us your name and where you’re from?”

“I’m Harley Keener, I’m from Rosehill, Tennessee but I was born here in the city.”

“Well then welcome back, Harley. Have a seat next to Peter and we can begin class.”

Harley smirked and walked over to the omega, sitting down at the lab table and poking the other boy in the ribs. Peter giggled softly and then turned back to the board to pay attention to his teacher.

After class both of the boys left side-by-side with their bags slung over their shoulders, happy to have this companionable silence between them. The blond looked over his schedule quietly, pace slowed for Peter’s sake, until he heard someone shout his name from down the hall.

“Yo, Keener!”

It was Flash.

“Hey, Flash,” Harley said with a tight smirk as the he watched the other alpha approach. The pair clasped hands and then chest bumped in greeting.

“When were you gonna tell me you were back in the city? I should be showin’ you around the school, not this nerd,” Flash said with a dismissive hand at Peter.

“Watch yourself, Thompson. Pete’s been my best friend since we were pups,” Harley growled warningly, staring the other teen down.

“What- Seriously? No way, it’s bad enough he corrupted Osborn but you?”

“Osborn? Oh I bet your dad loved that,” the blond said as he turned back to Peter with a grin on his face.

“Dad didn’t care, it was _mom_ that threatened to disown me,” Peter told him quietly, the corners of his lips turned upwards. “That was right after you left.”

Another alpha growl cut through the hallway and the crowd of students parted to reveal Harry. The alpha stalked over and worked his way between Flash, Harley, and Peter, giving an icy glare to the other two alphas before turning back to Peter.

“These guys bothering you, Peter?”

“Not at all. Harry, this is Harley, I’ve told you about him,” Peter told the taller boy, smiling full force now.

“Harley Keener,” Harley said, holding his hand out for the other blond.

“Harry Osborn. Nice to put a face to the name,” Harry said, smiling sheepishly now. “Sorry for that. I saw Flash and I assumed you were with him.”

“Shut the hell up, Osborn. You used to be cool,” Flash growled.

“Used to be? Damn, guess I’ll remember that at my next party. Or at the next gala, or hell, when I’m walking down the hall and everyone’s saying hi,” the tall blond said with a shrug as he stared down at the shorter alpha. Out of the three of them, Harry stood the tallest and Flash the shortest.

“Walk away, Flash, before you embarrass yourself further,” Harley suggested just as the warning bell rang. “Shit, let’s go, Pete, yer gonna be late.”

The whole hallway started to disperse as Harley walked Peter to his next class. The final bell rang a moment before the pair walked into the classroom.

“Mr. Parker, you are late again!”

“It was my fault, ma’am, I’m new here and Pete was helpin’ me find my next class,” the taller teen explained respectfully, dipping his head in apology.

“Well… I suppose I can let it go just this once. Take your seat, Peter, and you should probably be on your way to class,” the woman told them with a firm nod. Harley nodded his head and left the room to find his next class.

-

Bucky sighed softly as he got off on the penthouse floor. He was already undoing his tie and pulling off the suit jacket, beyond tired after a day full of meetings. He’d learned long ago why Tony had hated going to all these meetings but someone had to do it and that someone had to be him.

At least until Peter was old enough to inherit his birthright.

He made his way back to his bedroom, tossing both of the pieces of clothing onto the bed before starting to unbutton his shirt next. He froze when he heard a soft cough, turning his head to look at the figure sitting in the window on the far side of the room.

Tony looked him up and down before turning back to looking outside. His knees were drawn up to his chest with his arms wrapped around them, though his overall posture was still loose and relaxed. It had been a long time since the omega’s scent was in this room.

“I was wondering where you were,” the omega spoke softly, keeping his eyes locked on the city below.

“Had a few meetings I needed to be at today. Can’t skip ‘em for lab time like you used to,” Bucky said softly, amusement lacing his voice. He went into the closet and changed into something more comfortable before joining the smaller man at the window.

“Company’s doing well?”

“As well as can be. Product ideas were slow for awhile but Pete’s started hanging out with the R&D crew. He’s so full of ideas,” the alpha told him, a fond smile on his face. “Smart as a whip, like you.”

“Mmm, smarter. He just doesn’t know how to channel it all yet,” Tony told him, a ghost of a smile on his face. He turned to look at the bigger brunet and that hint of a smile was immediately gone. “I understand now. I thought I did before but…”

“I never wanted you to understand,” Bucky whispered, reaching over and carefully taking one of his mate’s hands in his own. “I’m so sorry, Tony.”

“Nothing to be sorry for.”

“I gave up on you. I thought- I assumed. I assumed you were dead and you suffered for it.”

“You didn’t know, Jamie, so shut the hell up,” Tony growled, tightening his hold on the alpha’s hand. Bucky nodded his head and squeezed back before gently tugging. The omega looked wary and hesitant for a moment before crawling into the other’s lap. He settled sideways on the bigger man and tucked his head under his chin.

Bucky rumbled contently as he practically cocooned the smaller man in his arms, cradling him to his chest. The pair stayed silent and continued to look out over the New York skyline together.


	2. Chapter 2

Tony tiptoed through the penthouse, quiet as a mouse as he made his way through the dark. It was the middle of the night and he’d woken up from a vivid nightmare - he swore he watched his pup die. Swore it up and down and now he had to _know._ He had to know if his pup was alive.

With trembling hands, the omega opened up Peter’s bedroom door and crept inside silently. There were two forms in the teenager’s bed and Tony’s heart rate spiked before he caught Harley’s familiar smell. He got closer and carefully sat on the edge of the bed.

A snore erupted from Harley as he turned over and Tony smiled slightly, a soft, tentative thing that upturned the corners of his lips. He turned his attention back to Peter and gently ran a hand through the younger omega’s soft curls. He breathed in his sleepy scent and allowed it to calm his anxiety.

Peter shifted and yawned, blinking open his eyes and leaning into his mother’s touch with a content sigh. He looked up at the older brunet and made a questioning noise.

“Go back to sleep, Peter Piper,” Tony whispered, leaning down and pressing a kiss to the boy’s forehead. The teen purred tiredly and nodded his head. He closed his eyes and was almost immediately asleep again, though he still purred under his mother’s attention.

The older brunet sighed softly and got up, tugging the comforter over both of the boys before slipping out of the bedroom as silently as he’d entered. He made his way down the hall and snuck into Bucky’s room next, the last of his anxiety dissipating at the scent of his mate.

It’d been months since he was brought back home but he still couldn’t bring himself to sleep in the same room as the alpha. They spoke and cuddled on a near daily basis, strengthening the bond between them, but he was terrified at night. He didn’t know if he was going to attack his family while in the throes of a nightmare.

He knew Bucky could handle him but…

He shook his head and carefully made his way over to the slumbering alpha. The omega bit his lip and slowly reached out to play with the short, brown hair. He was still getting used to the alpha with this short hair, so at odds with the long locks he’d had before.

“What’re you doin’ up, doll?” Bucky asked quietly, voice raspy with sleep. Tony froze at the voice, scent spiking from the surprise. He watched the larger brunet slowly sit up and stretch with a yawn, blue-grey eyes turning to look at him in the dark.

“I, um. I had a nightmare, had to check on Peter,” Tony told him softly, looking down at the ground. His anxiety returned nearly full-force, afraid the other man would kick him out of the room.

“Was I in it too?”

“No, you just- your scent…” the omega trailed off awkwardly. Bucky smiled and reached out for the smaller man, gently tugging him until he got onto the bed.

“Sleep here? Please?”

“Are you sure?” Tony asked, biting his lip nervously.

“So sure, Tones. Miss holdin’ you,” the alpha told him as he laid back down. He pushed the covers down and Tony slowly crawled under, laying down next to the bigger man. He was suddenly _surrounded_ in the alpha’s winter pine scent and he relaxed almost immediately.

He scooched forward until he could rest his head on his mate’s chest, instantly purring when a strong arm wrapped around him and held him close. The sound of Bucky’s heart beating in his chest was soothing and lulled the smaller man into a doze. Soft snores told him his mate was already asleep once more.

Now warm, calm, and surrounded in a familiar scent, Tony fell asleep and didn’t dream for the rest of the night.

In the morning, both brunets woke up to a third presence in the bed. When Tony opened his eyes, he was looking into the soft caramel eyes of his pup who was laying on Bucky’s other side. The alpha’s metal hand was rubbing up and down the teen’s back lazily, still seemingly in a doze.

“Morning, mama,” Peter murmured, reaching over and taking the older omega’s hand and squeezing it.

“Good morning, baby boy,” Tony said around a yawn, lazily half-crawling over Bucky’s chest to press a few kisses to his pup’s face. The teenager purred happily and returned the kisses. All of their movement and purrs woke Bucky up fully and he watched both omegas practically groom each other over his chest.

“What a sight in the morning. Our little family all wrapped up in bed,” the alpha rumbled, leaning up to nuzzle both of the brunets. Tony ducked down and gave the bigger man a chaste kiss on his lips.

“What brings you here, Peter Piper?” Tony asked his pup as he settled against his mate’s chest once more.

“Harley got up to make breakfast and my bed was cold,” Peter grumped, a pout on his face.

“Poor Peter Barnes, life is so hard for you,” Bucky teased as he brushed his fingers over his son’s side, immediately earning giggles as the boy was tickled.

“Daddy, stop! Stooooop!”

“Go make sure Harley isn’t burning down the kitchen.”

Peter huffed softly and got up, giving his dad a withering look over his shoulder as he grabbed his crutches and left the bedroom. Both of the older brunets watched him go before suddenly Bucky was rolling over, trapping half of Tony’s body against the bed.

Tony couldn’t help the split second of tension that took over his body, his instincts telling him he needed to break free. With a couple deep breaths and holding on to his mate, he slowly relaxed under the alpha’s weight and looked him over. Blue-grey eyes watched him observantly but the bigger man didn’t say a word about it.

“I say we just skip the whole day, spend it right here in bed,” Bucky murmured after a few moments, moving his head to press light kisses to Tony’s exposed shoulder.

“You’ve never wanted to laze in bed for as long as I’ve known you,” Tony told him with a small laugh.

“First for everything, babydoll,” the soldier told him with a smile, trailing his kisses up tanned skin to the omega’s neck.

“As tempting as it is… I think I wanna go to the lab today.”

Bucky sat up to look at the omega, eyes wide and his jaw dropped in shock. The smaller man shrunk back at the sudden movement and his anxiety reared it’s ugly head - was his mate going to scold him? Tell him he wasn’t ready?

“Are you sure, Tones? You think yer ready?”

“I- I think so? I’m... allowed right?”

“Shit, of course you are. You don’t need permission to do anything,” the alpha told him, kissing his cheek softly. “You wanna go to the lab, then you go. All I ask is that you come up for meals or have me bring ‘em down for you.”

“Okay,” Tony answered shyly, a pleased little smile on his face.

-

“Mama? What do you need?” Peter called as he entered the lab, dropping his bag by the elevator and making his way over to the omega hunched over the worktable. He sat on the bench next to his mother and laid the crutches down.

“I need to take measurements of your legs,” Tony murmured absentmindedly as he looked over the hologram in front of him.

“Are you making me a prosthetic?” Peter asked excitedly, eyes lighting up as he looked over the blueprints in front of his mother. It was the beginnings of a leg and he couldn’t help the excitement. “They kept telling me I had to finish growing!”

“That’s because no one is as creative as I am,” the older brunet said, looking at the teenager next to him with a smile. “This one will grow with you. And you can wear it in your suit _and_ it won’t rub your skin raw.”

The teen was practically vibrating with excitement, practically tearing his jeans off so his mother could measure his good leg and then his stump. Tony had to scold him multiple times to sit still but he couldn’t help it.

He was gonna walk again.

Peter was still trembling with suppressed excitement hours later when he was cuddled up on the couch with Harley, his head tucked under the alpha’s chin. They were watching a movie while his parents made dinner for all four of them. He could practically feel his mom’s eyes on them though.

He felt his cheeks heat when he felt gentle lips pressed against the top of his head in a kiss. They were flaming when he realized he was purring for his best friend but he couldn’t bring himself to care too much - just nuzzled against Harley’s chest and got even more comfortable surrounded by his scent.

Tony couldn’t help the easy smile on his face as he looked at the pair. He was trying to help Bucky cook dinner but he was probably more of a hindrance than a help at this point since he was so caught up looking at the boys. He startled when he felt a hand on his hip, squeaking and turning to look at his mate.

“Give ‘em some privacy, doll,” Bucky urged softly, kissing his cheek.

“I can’t help it. Maybe I should find that old scrapbook…” Tony murmured thoughtfully, humming as he allowed his mate to steer him further into the kitchen.

“You remember that?”

“I- Yeah...a few weeks ago. I remember most things now,” the omega answered with a shy smile, glancing up at the bigger man.

“Faster than I did,” the alpha told him, leaning down to kiss him.

“70 years versus 10, honey.”

“You’re right. Anyway, dinner is almost ready so how ‘bout some love for the cook?”

Tony laughed and wrapped his arms around his mate’s neck, purring when he felt arms around his waist. The pair happily swayed back and forth and Jarvis supplied music without prompting. The omega rested his head on the alpha’s chest and sighed happily.

“They’re such goals,” someone whispered and both brunets looked over to see Harley and Peter peeking around the corner at them. Both teens went red when they saw they were caught.

“Silly pups,” Bucky rumbled, idly running his hand along Tony’s waist. “Dinner’s ready.”

“Thanks daddy,” Peter purred, entering the kitchen fully to sit at the island counter. Harley took the crutches from him and settled them against one of the walls before getting a couple plates for both of them.

Tony and Bucky watched the alpha take care of their pup, something settling in their chests at the sight. Bucky tightened his hold around Tony and sighed happily.

-

Bucky looked up from the paperwork when thunder cracked loudly and the lights in the living room flickered. He frowned and looked outside at the thunderstorm. It was seriously coming down heavy and he noticed most of this side of the city seemed to be having a blackout. Lightning lit up the city and he sighed.

He heard a cry from back inside the bedroom and he was up and down the hall in an instant. He burst through the door and found the bedroom empty, their nest half-built. Tony had been there since dinner preparing the nest to sleep for the night and now he was nowhere to be found.

Except the balcony door was open, letting in the wind and rain.

Bucky hurried over and saw Tony’s silhouette out on the balcony, shivering in the rain. He was sitting on the wet ground with his knees to his chest and his arms wrapped tightly around them, curled into a tight ball. 

“Tones? Baby doll, what’re you doing out here?” Bucky called over the rain, startling the omega. The smaller man looked over his shoulder at the alpha, his eyes wide and fearful. It wasn’t just raindrops falling down his face, but tears as well and his bottom lip was trembling. From fear, or the cold rain, the bigger brunet couldn’t tell.

He walked over and slowly picked the omega up into his arms, feeling the small, trembling body against his arms as he carried him back inside. He closed the balcony doors and walked into the bathroom to start a warm bath for both of them. He set his mate down on the counter and turned the faucet on in the tub, adding some scented beads to the water as well.

Once he’d stripped both of them of their clothes, they got in with Tony leaning back against Bucky’s chest. The omega was quiet as he laid his head on his mate’s flesh shoulder, staring at the tiles ahead of them.

“Talk to me, doll.”

“The- The dark. It reminded me of the wormhole,” Tony breathed out, closing his eyes and hiding his face in Bucky’s neck. “And then the lightening...it was like throwing two of my greatest traumas right into my face at the same time.”

“You’re safe, Tony. You’re here on Earth and you’re at home with me and our son,” Bucky told him, gently stroking the smaller man’s abdomen.

“Logically, I know all that. But I wish Afghanistan and that wormhole had just...stayed gone from my head.”

“They made you who you are, Tony. Made you into the man I love.”

“That’s a nice sentiment but I wanna sleep through the night at some point in the near future,” Tony said with a humorless smile. He breathed in the scent beads from the water and practically melted against his alpha.

They spent the next half hour in the bath with Bucky washing his mate’s hair and body. Once that was done, they got out and he dried the omega off before carrying him to the half-constructed nest. He laid him inside and finished weaving blankets into the nest before crawling in beside him.

“Go to sleep, doll. I’ll be here to protect you.”

-

Peter was hesitant as he walked towards the front doors of the school. Just yesterday he’d gone in with his crutches. Today he was going in with his brand new prosthetic leg, courtesy of his mama. Tony had finished the leg just yesterday and they’d fitted it on last night after dinner. And then they’d taken it for a spin in the tower’s gym.

Now he was nervous. To his classmates, he was just poor Peter Barnes. He’d been on crutches almost all of his life, hadn’t really taken a step on his own two feet in a decade. He didn’t know how the hell he was going to be able to explain to his classmates how he’d been able to receive such a high-tech, expensive piece of equipment.

Luckily he had Harley by his side to ward off some of the more nasty characters in their school.

He jolted when he felt a hand brush against his own, drawing his attention to Harley next to him. The taller boy was smiling down at him, brushing his knuckles against the omega’s.

“I’ve got your back, Petey.”

“I know. Let’s go,” Peter purred, puffing up his chest and walking right through the doors with his best friend by his side. They made it all the way to their lockers before someone noticed anything different.

“Nice leg, Barnes,” MJ said as she walked up, the beta girl leaning against the lockers as she looked down at the omega’s jeans-clad legs.

“I think that’s the weirdest compliment I’ve ever heard,” Peter said with a laugh, unlocking his locker to pull out his books for his morning classes.

“I try.”

“Peter, what have I told you about carrying- oh. That’s new,” Harry said when he saw no crutches in sight. “I guess you don’t need any strapping, young alphas anymore.”

“Well I don’t know about _that_. I like the eye candy!”

“Always knew you were a slut, Barnes. I bet you sucked some high end cock to even afford a prosthetic,” Flash taunted as he and some of his cronies walked up. “Then again, I bet it’s a shitty one.”

“Custom-made actually. Has the Stark Industries seal of approval and everything,” Peter said, giving Flash a once-over and then turning his attention back to his friends. Ned had walked up and was now watching the altercation just like the rest of them.

“Yeah, right! As if you, a poor orphan, could even afford to _look_ at a Stark Industries product!”

Peter sighed through his nose and set his jaw. He caught Harley’s eye and the alpha just shrugged lightly, offering a small smile. He knew his dad probably wouldn’t be the happiest about what he was about to do but at least his mom would laugh. And express pride. After all, his mom was the king of indiscretion.

He turned and faced the alpha.

“Actually, Flash, I’m not an orphan. I have two very wonderful parents, one of which is the reason you got suspended last semester,” Peter told him, shocking the hell out of Flash and his buddies. “Second, if you’re gonna say my name, say it right. It’s _Stark_ -Barnes. My parents are Iron Man and the Winter Soldier, you dipshit.”

“Now I know you’re lying. As if you would be their son! You’d be an _embarrassment_ to them!” Flash exclaimed with a loud laugh, drawing everyone’s attention to the little altercation.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Eugene. I don’t have to prove a thing to someone like you,” the omega told him, rolling his eyes for effect and then closing his locker. He grabbed Harley’s hand and intertwined their fingers before they headed off to class side-by-side. Which left Flash standing there gaping like a fish.

“What’s this?” Harley asked quietly as they walked, looking down at their hands pointedly.

“I can’t hold my boyfriend’s hand?” Peter asked innocently.

“I didn’t say that,” the alpha replied with a laugh. He squeezed the shorter boy’s hand as they walked through the door to their first class of the day.

-

Tony hummed quietly from his place curled up in the window in his bedroom, photo albums stacked by his feet and one laid out on his lap for him to look through. Even though he remembered most things these days, he still loved to look through the photos from before and after the explosion.

He’d missed out on watching his pup grow up into the young man he was starting to become. That thought left a little pang of sadness in his chest but he pushed it away - he was there now. He could watch his pup finish growing, watch him get married and hopefully have pups of his own one day.

You know, between superhero duties.

He picked up a photo of his and Bucky’s wedding day, the pair standing in front of the extravagant cake with bits of frosting smeared across their cheeks. He smiled down at the photo - they looked so happy. There were only some days where he could muster up that kind of joy now.

He looked up when the bedroom door opened to reveal Bucky after a day of meetings. The alpha looked mentally exhausted with the beginnings of dark circles under his eyes. The taller man smiled tiredly when he saw the omega in the window.

“What’re you lookin’ at, doll?” Bucky asked as he walked over, shedding his jacket and tie.

“Old photos. You look tired,” Tony murmured as he looked his mate over worriedly.

“Yeah, I had to deal with the board today.”

“I’m sorry. I can take back over if you want…”

“Tones, if I had it my way, you’d never have to lift another finger ever again,” Bucky told him, moving the albums so he could sit next to him. “But it’s up to you. Everything is happening at your pace and only yours. When you’re ready, you’ll know.”

“I need to do something, Bucky. I’ve done nothing but cry and tinker in the lab for months, I wanna go outside with you and Peter and I wanna go back to work,” Tony told him with a sigh, setting the album aside so he could crawl into his alpha’s lap. He laid his head on the other man’s shoulder.

“Okay, I’ll have Pepper call a press conference then. And the lawyers so we can legally make you alive again.”

“Mmm. Being alive might help a little,” the omega joked.

Bucky laughed softly and held the smaller brunet in his arms, kissing the top of his head. He looked down at the albums and pulled one of the loose photos out. It was a picture of baby Peter after they’d come back from the hospital. Tony was sitting in the rocking chair looking down at their newborn pup with the fondest smile on his face.

“Dammit, I almost forgot how cute he was,” the alpha commented. He showed Tony the photo he was holding.

“Almost makes me want another one,” the omega purred, laughing when he felt his mate still under his body. He nuzzled the man’s neck teasingly. “Don’t you wanna make a pup with me, alpha?”

“You are going to be the death of me, Anthony Stark,” Bucky growled, leaning down to bite into the meat of the smaller’s shoulder. Tony yelped and squirmed in his husband’s grip.

“Be honest, alpha! Look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t wanna see me heavy with your pup again,” Tony purred sultrily. He rubbed his hands up and down Bucky’s chest, batted his eyelashes at him. “Maybe _multiple_ this time…”

“I’m going to throw you in a cold shower,” Bucky rumbled, grabbing the omega’s hips and squeezing. “Let’s work on the press conference and reintroducing you to society and then we’ll talk about pups. And we’ll have to ask Peter.”

“Killjoy,” the smaller man muttered with a pout, his lower lip stuck out cutely.

-

The living room was dark and relatively quiet, the only sound coming from the credits on the television. Bucky had turned the volume down low so that the music didn’t disturb the passed out omegas laying across his chest. Both of the brunets had their heads on his shoulders but their bodies were all over the alpha’s.

Bucky hummed quietly as he rubbed their sides, almost in a light doze himself. He really felt at home like this. His mate and his pup were with him and safe in their home.

He opened his eyes when he heard footsteps approaching, seeing Harley walk into the living room. The younger alpha smiled when he saw the trio on the couch, chuckling softly at the omegas-turned-sloths.

“And here I was, wonderin’ why Pete hadn’t come to bed yet,” Harley said with a smile on his face.

“Well yer welcome to take him,” Bucky told him, carefully moving his arm away from Peter. The blond alpha came closer and gently picked Peter up into his arms bridal style. The omega whined softly and then settled against his boyfriend’s chest happily. “Goodnight, Harley.”

“Night, Bucky,” Harley murmured before carrying the omega teen out of the living room and down the hall. Bucky sighed softly and looked down at his mate who was drooling on his shoulder. The alpha gently maneuvered Tony until the brunet was straddling his lap and then he stood up with his mate against his chest.

He carried the smaller man down the hall into their own room and gently laid him in their nest, causing the brunet to whine and search for his alpha’s warmth. Bucky chuckled softly and stripped his shirt and jeans off before crawling in beside his mate.

“Can we talk about that pup now?” Tony whispered against the alpha’s neck, grinning when the bigger brunet groaned. “Come on...I’m alive now, the whole world knows it.”

“Are you goin’ into heat or somethin’?”

“I… haven’t thought about that. It’s been a decade so...yeah, maybe.”

Bucky hummed softly and rubbed the omega’s hip soothingly. He pressed his face into his mate’s neck and took a long, deep inhale of his scent. He’d memorized that cinnamon and iron scent long ago but whenever Tony’s heat got close, that cinnamon sweetened into cinnamon-sugar. And there it was, that sweet smell that had him so whipped.

“Yeah, there it is. Sweetest thing I’ve ever smelled,” the alpha told him, kissing his scent gland. “We can talk about a pup if you really want to. But we have to talk to Peter about it too. He’s 15, maybe he doesn’t want a sibling.”

“You know Peter, he’d love to be a big brother,” Tony told him with a laugh, crawling on top of Bucky and laying down right there. “Now sleep with me, alpha.”

“Sir, yes, sir,” Bucky joked. He wrapped his arms around his mate and practically clutched him to his body as they fell asleep.

-

The next day, when Bucky returned to the penthouse after a long day of meetings, he found Harley taking a nap on the couch with no omegas in sight. He hummed curiously but ignored it, heading down the hall towards his and Tony’s bedroom so he could change. Even though Tony was legally alive once more, he’d gleefully allowed his alpha to keep the title of CEO.

As he passed Peter’s room, he heard soft voices behind the slightly ajar door. He paused and moved closer to the door, peeking in and seeing Peter and Tony curled up in the teenager’s nest. They were clearly having a conversation while they cuddled. That explained why Harley was out on the couch.

The alpha smiled and continued on to his own bedroom, quickly shedding his suit and changing into a henley and sweatpants. He ran a hand through his hair and then decided he was going to crash the omega party happening in the next room. He left his bedroom and knocked on Peter’s door, drawing his mate’s and son’s attention.

“Hey, you’re back,” Tony purred with a smile. “How was work?”

“Ugh, don’t even start with that,” Bucky groaned, walking in and sitting on the edge of the nest. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to his mate’s lips before leaning in further to nuzzle Peter. “I am exhausted.”

“Poor alpha,” the brunet teased lightly.

“What’re you two talkin’ about in here? Poor Harley’s obviously been kicked to the curb.”

“Pups, and siblings,” Peter answered, smiling shyly at his father. “Mom told me you two were talking about it.”

“Talking is pretty generous. He was all but begging,” Bucky said with a laugh.

“Lies and slander,” Tony protested, swatting at the bigger brunet. “Peter wants a baby sister.”

“Well I don’t think we can guarantee that,” the alpha laughed, nudging his pup playfully. Peter pouted and threw a pillow at his dad.

“It was just a thought! There’s too many guys in this house,” Peter complained, frowning pointedly.

“Well we can try. Worst case, we make more,” Tony purred, dragging Bucky into the nest between both omegas. The alpha grunted but relaxed, shifting to get a little more comfortable. He pulled both omegas in and rumbled happily.

-  
Tony hummed quietly as he lay in the nest, blankets laid over his legs and pillows propped behind him. In his arms was little Morgan, just a few days old and clearly indignant about being thrown into their little world. He gently caressed a finger down the pup’s cheek and watched her little nose scrunch up.

The door opened and Bucky came in with breakfast on a tray. He smiled at his mate and their new pup and set the tray on Tony’s lap when he flattened his legs. He gently took Morgan into his own arms and cooed to her.

“I can’t get over how beautiful she is,” the alpha murmured, moving to the other side of the nest so he could crawl in next to Tony. “We make the cutest kids.”

“Damn right we do,” Tony replied as he took a bite of toast. “Where’s Peter?”

“He ‘n Harley were eating breakfast. I’m sure they’ll be in soon.”

The omega hummed thoughtfully and continued eating. He finished up a little while later and made grabby hands for his pup again, smiling wide when Bucky handed her over. He cuddled the girl into his chest again and nuzzled her when she fussed. The bedroom door opened again and two heads popped in.

“Can we come in?” Peter asked quietly, looking entirely hopeful.

“Yeah, come on in, boys,” Bucky told them, waving them in. Both of the teenagers walked in and quietly made their way over. Peter carefully sat on the edge of the bed and looked at his new baby sister, a grin on his face when he saw her little, scrunched up face.

“She’s so cute,” the omega teen murmured.

“You were that cute too,” Tony said. “Here, hold your arms out. Make sure you support her head.”

“Oh- Okay, um…” Peter stuttered nervously, carefully taking Morgan into his arms and supporting her head just like his mother said. The pup fussed a little at the new scent but settled when it finally registered to her as family. “Oh man. She’s so tiny…”

“Makes you think about having your own someday,” Harley murmured in his ear, looking over the other boy’s shoulder at the pup.

“Hey. You two aren’t allowed to have any pups until you’re at least 30,” Bucky protested sternly, giving both of them the stink-eye.

“Whatever you say, daddy,” Peter teased before turning his full attention back to Morgan. Tony laughed softly and leaned against Bucky’s side, laying his head on his shoulder.

“Leave ‘em alone, they’re responsible enough. Focus on me,” the older omega murmured, pressing a kiss to the alpha’s neck. He purred happily and basked in the scent of his mate.

“Needy thing,” Bucky murmured, wrapping an arm around Tony. He rumbled and rubbed his face against the smaller man’s head affectionately. This was exactly where he wanted to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, an unexpected second chapter! This has been sitting in my drive for a while and I'd come back to it a few times before leaving it alone again. So I hope you guys enjoy!

**Author's Note:**

> So I've been thinking about creating a work that is filled with various incomplete works that have been sitting on my Google Drive for forever and a half. It'd be various pairings and in different sorts of universes but I wanted to know what you guys thought first! Maybe if I do this and you guys like a certain story, I'll find the inspiration to finish it!
> 
> Let me know what you guys think! And of course, let me know what you guys thought of this story here!
> 
> Stay safe out there everybody!


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